Discussion: The Systems Development Life Cycle and the Nurse Informaticist The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a model for planning and implementing change within an organization. It is important for many individuals to be represented in the process, especially the end users of the system or the employees who must live with the change. As informatics become more and more widespread throughout the health care field, collaboration between information technology (IT) professionals and health care practitioners is becoming increasingly important. The nurse informaticist is able to combine the perspective of the information technology side with the clinical nursing perspective. While the titles and specific responsibilities of nurse informaticists vary across organizations and practice settings, the fundamental purpose of the role remains the same. Nurse informaticists synthesize their knowledge of how technology can improve health care with an understanding of clinical practice and workflow. This is why nurse informaticists can be instrumental in facilitating the SDLC for informatics in health care. For this Discussion, you examine the relationship between the nurse informaticist and the use of the SDLC. To prepare: Review the information in this week’s Learning Resources on the SDLC and the role of the nurse informaticist. Reflect on Chapter 1 of the Dennis, Wixom, and Roth course text and consider how the information about the systems analyst role translates into nursing and health care. Consider a recent change in your organization related to the implementation of a new technology or system. How was this change handled? What was the general SDLC process? Who was involved, and what were the outcomes? Identify whether your organization (or one with which you are familiar) has a formal title or position for the nurse informaticist. This position may be called by a different name, such as nurse informatics specialist or informatics analyst, so be sure to review the position description. If your organization has a position for the nurse informaticist, what are the responsibilities of that position? If your organization does not have such a position, conduct research in the Walden Library and at credible online sources on the role of the nurse informaticist. Reflect on the role of the nurse informaticist in the overall health care field. How is this position connected to the SDLC? Assess the benefits of having this specialized position within health care organizations and involving the nurse informaticist in the SDLC. Post by tomorrow 8/30/16 550 words in APA format with a minimum of 3 references from the list provided under Required Readings. Apply the level 1 headings as numbered below: 1) A description of how the systems development life cycle is utilized in your organization (Hospital), or in one with which you are familiar, and assess its effectiveness. 2) Assess the role of the nurse informaticist in your organization. If.

1. Discussion: The Systems Development Life Cycle and the Nurse
Informaticist
The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a model for
planning and implementing change within an organization. It is
important for many individuals to be represented in the process,
especially the end users of the system or the employees who
must live with the change. As informatics become more and
more widespread throughout the health care field, collaboration
between information technology (IT) professionals and health
care practitioners is becoming increasingly important. The nurse
informaticist is able to combine the perspective of the
information technology side with the clinical nursing
perspective.
While the titles and specific responsibilities of nurse
informaticists vary across organizations and practice settings,
the fundamental purpose of the role remains the same. Nurse
informaticists synthesize their knowledge of how technology
can improve health care with an understanding of clinical
practice and workflow. This is why nurse informaticists can be
instrumental in facilitating the SDLC for informatics in health
care. For this Discussion, you examine the relationship between
the nurse informaticist and the use of the SDLC.
To prepare:
Review the information in this week’s Learning Resources on
the SDLC and the role of the nurse informaticist. Reflect on
Chapter 1 of the Dennis, Wixom, and Roth course text and

2. consider how the information about the systems analyst role
translates into nursing and health care.
Consider a recent change in your organization related to the
implementation of a new technology or system. How was this
change handled? What was the general SDLC process? Who was
involved, and what were the outcomes?
Identify whether your organization (or one with which you are
familiar) has a formal title or position for the nurse
informaticist. This position may be called by a different name,
such as nurse informatics specialist or informatics analyst, so be
sure to review the position description.
If your organization has a position for the nurse informaticist,
what are the responsibilities of that position? If your
organization does not have such a position, conduct research in
the Walden Library and at credible online sources on the role of
the nurse informaticist.
Reflect on the role of the nurse informaticist in the overall
health care field. How is this position connected to the SDLC?
Assess the benefits of having this specialized position within
health care organizations and involving the nurse informaticist
in the SDLC.
Post by tomorrow 8/30/16 550 words in APA format with a
minimum of 3 references from the list provided under Required
Readings. Apply the level 1 headings as numbered below:
1) A description of how the systems development life cycle is
utilized in your organization (Hospital), or in one with which
you are familiar, and assess its effectiveness.
2)
Assess the role of the nurse informaticist in your organization.
If the nurse informaticist is not a current position within your
organization, provide a description of the generally accepted
role of the nurse informaticist based on this week’s Learning

3. Resources and your own research.
3)
Explain why it is important for the nurse informaticist to be
involved in the SDLC process and the overall organizational
benefits of having such involvement.
Required Readings
Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. (2015).
Systems analysis and design
(6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Chapter 1, “The Systems Analyst and Information Systems
Development” (pp. 1–34)
In this chapter, the authors clarify the relationship between
systems analysts and information systems development. The
chapter also covers the basic business applications of
information systems.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2015).
Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge
(3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Chapter 10, “Systems Development Life Cycle: Nursing
Informatics and Organizational Decision Making”

4. Chapter 11, “Administrative Information Systems”
Quality, organizational decision making is a requisite to
successful advancements in technology. This chapter explores
how workplaces respond to the necessity for improved
information systems.
Anderson, C., & Sensmeier, J. (2011). Nursing informatics
scope of practice expands, salaries increase.
Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 29
(5), 319–320.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article assesses the growing need for informaticists in the
health care industry. The combination of clinical and
information technology experience that informaticists possess
makes them invaluable in assisting in the health care industry’s
transition into a heavier use of information systems.
Houston, S. M. (2012). Nursing’s role in IT projects.
Nursing Management, 43
(1), 18–19.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The societal advancements of information technology (IT) are
major factors in the governance of health care organizations.
This article gives an overview of how nurse informaticists blend
their clinical know-how with IT to improve workflow and

5. patient care.
McLane, S., & Turley, J. P. (2011). Informaticians: How they
may benefit your healthcare organization.
The Journal of Nursing Administration, 41
(1), 29–35.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Nursing informaticists help guide the implementation of
information systems into health care organizations. The authors
of this article evaluate how informaticists effect change in
management and improve meaningful use in nursing practice.
Prestigiacomo, J. (2012). The rise of the senior nurse
informaticist.
Healthcare Informatics, 29
(2), 38–43.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The author of this article highlights the conditions of the health
care industry and its growing reliance on data-driven decision
making. Nurse informaticists are important in this transition,
playing a major role in the development and utilization of
electronic health records (EHRs).
Warm, D., & Thomas, B. (2011). A review of the effectiveness
of the clinical informaticist role.
Nursing Standard, 25
(44), 35–38.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

6. Health care organizations rely heavily on information
management and technology for organizational maintenance and
patient care. This article examines the clinical informaticist’s
role in facilitating the implementation of health information
technology and spearheading clinical risk management.